


Keep Dreaming, Star Boy

by ahhtaestea



Series: The Soulmates From Afar [2]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Dreams, M/M, Multi, Stars, referenced chensung, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:28:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27691394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ahhtaestea/pseuds/ahhtaestea
Summary: Donghyuck wanted nothing but to see his soulmate again, but as his desperation grew, they wouldn't show. Not even in his wildest dreams.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan & Mark Lee
Series: The Soulmates From Afar [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2038490
Kudos: 15





	Keep Dreaming, Star Boy

Lee Donghyuck had always been a big dreamer. Since he was a child to now as a young adult, he was constantly in a state of imagining. Always questioning with a wavering, uncertain want for answers. His head was always in the clouds, and whilst he often got scolded for it, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

He was around 6 when he had his first dream of his soulmate.

There was always this one boy who was very loud and bubbly at school. He only had one friend because kids would say they were scared of his laugh and would run for miles the minute he walked up to them. His friend would stay with him every minute of every day, protect him from the hurtful comments and tell him how unique his laugh was and how being unique meant being special. Every day, when the same kids picked on the boy, his friend would come in and push them away, protecting his best friend. 

Donghyuck remembered smiling as he watched the two of them play together every play time. Donghyuck never had any real friends so he couldn’t help but wonder to himself: what would it feel like to have someone protect you like that? What would it feel like to be told you’re special every day? It must feel great. 

That night he dreamt of him floating in a night sky, someone holding his hand tenderly as they guided him through the constellations of various forms of love. 

The person spoke in sounds, not words. Their voice was like a lost echo searching for a place of belonging, which just so happened to be Donghyuck’s ears. He could understand everything that they said. The sounds formed beautiful melodies as they waltzed through undiscovered fantasies which hopefully would become daring realities. 

He didn’t know what the person looked like, but he certainly remembered their tender touch and their soft skin. He remembered the warm fuzzy feeling he felt when they beckoned him over to another star, jumping and hopping over the burning flames of life. 

And despite it only being a dream, it was everything for Donghyuck. He knew that whoever that person was would be his protector; his friend; his soulmate. 

\------

Donghyuck would eagerly run into bed and shut his eyes as quickly as he could, desperately trying to fall asleep. This became his habit every day after school. He wanted to fly around with his soulmate in the vastness of space, he wanted to explore all the undiscovered planets of lost solar systems, swim in the light of the milky way or even travel through a wormhole - break the bounds of space and time itself, all with his soulmate by his side.

It was no shock that when Donghyuck couldn’t fall asleep he quickly became upset.

He wanted to force himself to sleep so that he’d be able to spend time with that person again. He wanted to be with his protector, his best friend. He wanted someone that would tell him he was special as they explored Alpha Centauri, above and beyond.

His parents always said that he didn’t need a soulmate to feel loved and that they loved him enough, but it never felt the same. He wanted so much more than that. And despite him only being 8, he wanted a lover. 

But then again, doesn’t everyone?

\-----

Donghyuck hated dreaming.

He would enter this land of wild possibilities, run away with his soulmate, escape all their worries - this was the great part of dreaming.

But with prize comes price. No happiness was made to last forever. 

Waking up was the second-worst part of dreaming. The amount of times Donghyuck had thrown himself back under the duvet to try and go back to sleep - trying to see his soulmate one last time - was unbelievable. 

It was horrible, but nothing could compare to not remembering your dream.

Donghyuck would scream and kick in a frenzied state as his parents would try to calm him. He was distressed after every dream, because there was this part of his brain that was preventing him from remembering. He wanted to treasure every moment spent with his soulmate and lock them up deep in his memory, ready for him to revisit whenever he wanted to.

The only thing he could remember was that it was a fantastic dream. Sometimes there would be flashes or images of what he dreamt, but it wasn’t satisfying enough.

Donghyuck hated dreaming, but he wouldn't trade it for anything else in this world.

\-----

It came as no surprise when Donghyuck decorated his room to resemble a star system. 

It was painted a dark navy blue with different specks of white, gold and rose all around, with the special addition of some star stickers. To top it off, he had glow in the dark bracelets tied together in varying sized hoops which hung from his ceiling. 

It wasn’t as pretty as he wanted it to be. In fact, Donghyuck hated it. He hated every single part of it.

No matter how many stars he added or covered, no matter how many times he drew on his walls, no matter how many layers of paint were caked on his ceiling, it could never come close to the beauty of the places he’d been to in his dreams.

He would get more flashes of them now; he’d be able to wake up and see more than just a glimpse of the world they shared, but it still wasn’t enough. It’d never be enough.

Donghyuck’s face crumpled as he ripped down a floating ring.

\-----

It was so painfully obvious that they were soulmates. They were always with each other, smiling happily. Even when they argued they seemed to come back together.

They could see each other every day, talk to each other every day, could paint their rooms in the likeliness of each other and still remain satisfied. They remembered each other.

They were so much more than friends, but still no less than significant others. Since the first day when he’d stuck up for him, they’d tied the invisible knot, binding their souls together.

It was so painfully obvious that they were soulmates.

But Donghyuck didn’t mind.

He was sure he had something better.

He just needed to find out what that was first.

\-----

15 and his room was now white. A blank canvas. 

After having it as that failed attempt of a star system for so long, he decided to just paint it white. 

Beneath all the paint was a story of a young child who’s frustration often consumed him.

His walls carried scars that would never fade as it would remember the times Donghyuck angrily scribbled all over them in an attempt to hide the pencil lines that wouldn’t rub out because he’d accidentally pressed too hard. 

His walls were bruised from the times Donghyuck had punched them out of pained fury whenever he failed to remember the latest escapade he indulged in with his soulmate.

His room was broken from the times Donghyuck would throw items haphazardly as he stared in resentment at the ugly pictures that made up this empty space.

His room was forever burdened with the sound of his wails as he would cry and cry and cry until he would pass out. 

And even then, he wasn’t able to dream with his soulmate. 

Nothing would work. Nothing looked right. Nothing felt right. 

It was all _wrong._

His room was now plain. It was better that way, he managed to convince himself.

It wasn’t difficult for Donghyuck to come to the conclusion that no matter how hard he tried, it just wasn’t good enough. His best just wasn’t good enough for this.

Perhaps his best just wasn’t good enough for his soulmate either.

\-----

They were laughing loudly in the extensive emptiness of the cosmos, their’s sounding like layered harmonies glazed with sweet honey. 

Donghyuck liked that they didn’t have much of a laugh. 

It made them _special_.

\-----

They were soulmates yet they were also best friends. It was weird to think about, right? They were always told that soulmates were always romantically involved with each other, but they weren’t. Or at least they didn’t look like they were, perhaps they would be in the future.

And that was okay.

Donghyuck thought to himself, ‘What would it be like if my soulmate were my best friend?’

Donghyuck smiled. He didn’t care if his soulmate was his best friend or lover. He knew he loved them either way.

Some would say he was forced to love them, but he really wasn’t. It felt natural, oddly enough. He hadn’t seen them yet, hell he didn’t even know what their name was, but that was enough.

His soulmate was just enough for him, if not more.

\-----

They hugged Donghyuck from behind and held his hands as they did every time they met - softly, tenderly, like he was made of the most precious china. It made him feel loved. He liked feeling loved. 

They whispered in his ear, “Star boy.” 

It was so, so quiet. _So quiet_. Like the universe had hushed just to hear those two words, and god it was so magical, Donghyuck wanted to melt on the spot.

But then he began to cry. And then he couldn’t stop crying. And he wished that he would stop because his soulmate was right next to him! He needed to treasure this memory for as long as he could before it faded away when he awoke like all the others did.

But he just could not seem to stop crying.

Cold hands brushed his hair out of his face, closing Donghyuck’s eyes in the process. Using the pad of their finger, they wiped away Donghyuck’s tears, humming a song whilst doing so. The song echoed around them and it was then that Donghyuck realised that it was truly just them. The stars had dimmed as if they were offering privacy as the breath of song blew in Donghyuck’s hair.

“Don’t cry, star boy. You’re making them sad.” They said in their tiered waves of song.

“Who?”

“The stars.”

They cupped their palm around Donghyuck’s cheek and the boy leaned into their touch. His soulmate was still humming as they pulled the younger in for a hug.

“Why can’t I see you?” Donghyuck asked desperately, more so to the universe rather than to the soul in front of him.

Donghyuck awoke. 

He immediately sat up and looked around at his barren white room. It was so plain.

His arm began to tingle slightly, causing him to flinch as it ticked. He violently rolled up his sleeve and saw seven letters tattooed on his forearm in messy handwriting. 

_‘Star boy.’_

Donghyuck smiled.

Donghyuck remembered.

He didn’t dare tell a soul that he did. He didn’t show his room this forbidden memory, he didn’t tell his parents about this blessing he’d been given. No.

He looked up at his ceiling and smiled as the whole experience replayed in his mind on repeat.

He was suddenly grateful for his plain white ceiling.

\-----

It felt like he’d been stabbed mercilessly through the heart when it happened. Like his heart was twisting and crushing, like his soul was cracking and crumbling, like the air had been callously sucked out of him. 

“Donghyuck? What happened?” Chenle asked as he ran over to the boy who suddenly collapsed.

Jisung was next to see what was happening, standing awkwardly next to Chenle. 

Donghyuck let out a strangled gasp as his arm started burning like it was on fire. He no longer had the strength to hold himself up and fell right into Chenle’s arms.

“Donghyuck? Donghyuck!” 

It was like he knew. He knew what had happened. The minute his arm started burning, he knew. 

And so he cried, because he didn’t know what else he should do apart from cry. He screamed as he laid limp in Chenle’s arms, clawing at the younger’s arms, wailing laments of anguish and despair.  
  


That night Donghyuck didn’t dream with his soulmate.

\-----

The air was freezing at this time of night, but Donghyuck felt as if he needed to do it. There was some invisible force pulling him to this specific point in the park, at this specific point in time.

He laid on his back and looked up at the sky. It was surprisingly clear tonight. He could make out quite a few of the stars that shone brightly above him. 

A gust of wind blew right by him and Donghyuck was no longer laying down in the park but instead floating in a place he’d never visited before, not even with his soulmate.

The sky had diamonds for stars. It was covered in these glimmering balls of fire in all different shapes and sizes, colours and personalities. It was stunning. He couldn’t help but awe at it.

“Star boy.” They said, wrapping their arms around Donghyuck from the back once more. They put their head on the other’s shoulders and closed their eyes, capturing this moment as if it would be their last. 

Donghyuck asked a question he already had the answer to. “You’re no longer there, are you?” 

They shook their head and Donghyuck heaved a sigh.

“I’ll still be able to meet up with you though, right?” 

When there was no response, Donghyuck unlatched their arms from his and took a step forward.

“What’s your name?” 

There was quiet again before his soulmate answered again in that rich, deep voice of theirs. “Mark.”

“Mark,” Donghyuck repeated, grinning at the name. “It’s nice to meet you Mark, I’m Donghyuck.”

They stood in their silence, basking in both of their presences. 

Donghyuck turned around and closed his eyes, opening his arms out for a hug. Mark complied.

“I want to see you again, Mark. I feel like I’ve only just met you.”

“But Donghyuck, we’ve known each other since we were children. You may have only just gotten to hear my voice and know my name, but we met a long time ago.” Mark said, rocking him back and forth.

“But now you’re gone and I won’t be able to see you again…” 

“Who said anything about that?” 

Donghyuck pulled away from the hug and immediately opened his eyes. No one was standing in front of him.

“Why do you always disappear when I need you the most?” He mumbled, kicking a dwarf-star beneath him.

“But I’m right here.”

“I can’t see you.”

“You don’t need to see me.”

“I want to meet you again, how can I meet with you again?” Donghyuck asked desperately.

Mark giggled and it felt like all the stars momentarily burned brighter.

“Keep dreaming, star boy. I’ll see you around soon.”

Donghyuck panicked when Mark said that. He wanted to shout ‘Wait!’ and beg for them to spend at least another minute together, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so.

“Oh, and Donghyuck?”

“Yes Mark?”

“Thank you for being my soulmate. You gave me some of the best memories whilst I was alive.”

The stars shone brighter than they’d ever done before and Donghyuck was suddenly back in the middle of the park, looking up at the sky.

It began to rain.

Donghyuck smiled a smile of heartache. He smiled a smile of promise.

In the stars, Donghyuck could see the image of Mark smiling down at him. Mark was very beautiful. The stars seemed to be the only ones to do his smile justice.   
  


Donghyuck had always been a big dreamer, meaning he’d had his fair share of dreams in his lifetime, but that night, when he returned home from the park, he dreamt the best dream he’d ever dreamt.

Donghyuck loved dreaming.

But he loved dreaming with his soulmate just that little bit more.


End file.
